United As One - Making a Difference

Free Wheelchair Mission thanks UPS for the band of friendly and hardworking volunteers that journeyed to our Irvine offices a few weeks ago!

Volunteers had a couple of important jobs they covered during this visit – one group worked on finishing up an important volume of correspondence, creating a good bit of support for our office management staff.

For another group, building wheelchairs was the order for the day, and their assembly skills were most appreciated as they were able to assemble 20 wheelchairs!

The UPS volunteer activities covered two days, and the atmosphere of general good cheer that accompanied their presence was most definitely appreciated.

Project Lifted

The following was posted online by a woman helping her nephew's endeavor to promote FWM.

My nephew, Jason Carr, and six other volunteers have joined hands with FREE WHEELCHAIR MISSION to help build and distribute 1,100 free wheelchairs in Haiti. They are leaving Southern California 5/21/2010. Jason will also be filming and photographing the mission in an effort to help Free Wheelchair Mission reach their goal of providing 8,000 free wheelchairs to the crush victims of Haiti's recent and devastating earthquake.

They would greatly appreciate your support in their venture to transform lives through mobility! THIS IS AN UNFUNDED TRIP FOR THEM, AND THEY NEED YOUR HELP. There will be a benefit at a local venue TBA later this week. They need donations to help fund the trip as well as contributions for a raffle. Please help in providing a significant humanitarian impact to an area that has suffered far too much.

Please contact Jason @ 714.458.6896
email: jason@projectlifted.org
follow them at http://www.projectlifted.org/

DONATE HERE

(The Donate Link goes to the group's own fundraising page to support their travel expenses.)

Two Feet, 200 Miles, 200 Lives Changed

(…we asked Ambassador Ryan Dexter from Wisconsin if we could share his story about running, life, faith…and the quest for wheelchairs: )

“I’m upping the stakes and running for a reason this May - a 200 mile trail run through the Green Mountains of Vermont. I’ve been preparing for this adventure for years – now that I’m running for wheelchairs, it’s even more important to get the word out.

So here’s how I became an Ambassador for Free Wheelchair Mission – I’d been thinking about my race and how I could make it into something that would help others. I learned about FWM when my church did an offering last Christmas. At the time, I didn’t think much about wheelchairs, or how hard it would be to survive without one. I have to draw attention to this! It’s just inhumane that people that have to crawl when there’s a wheelchair that can be provided for under sixty bucks.

I’ll have a great crew helping me out this May, but the 200 miles we are attempting to run is nothing compared to what many people have to do each and every day of their lives. We’re going to suffer for what, maybe 48 hours? Put that up against a lifetime of pain – there’s really no comparison.

Now, this is a race and we are in it to win it, but I am bolder than ever knowing that I’ll be running while raising money for Free Wheelchair Mission. My goal is to WIN, and to raise enough funds for a wheelchair for every mile we are running! I’ll run the miles, but I’ll need your help with the wheelchairs! That’s 200 miles to go and 200 wheelchairs to raise. I definitely think we can do it! Let’s make a difference in 200 lives around the world.”

Thank you!
Ryan Dexter, Ambassador for Mobility

Help Ryan raise 200 wheelchairs!

http://fwm.kintera.org/dexterthepunisher

Making an Impact Around the Globe!

Free Wheelchair Mission was presented with a check for $15,000 at the inaugural awards ceremony of Impact Giving, Orange County’s newest collective nonprofit. Held at the Turnip Rose in Costa Mesa on April 1, FWM was among several worthy causes honored by this dynamic, newly-formed philanthropy.

Since its inception, Impact Giving has attracted over 100 supporters willing to pledge $1,000 annually in support. With goals to “engage, educate and empower,” the all-female organization works to effect positive social change on a local, national and global scale.

Success is a key requirement for award allocations, according to Carol Olson, founding board member and policy chair of Impact Giving. “We require the grant applicants to provide measurable objectives and proof of effectiveness,” she said. “We carefully review each nominee and even examine their financial records as part of our decision-making process.”

“We are grateful for this gift,” said Stuart Nichols, Executive Director of FWM. “What an honor to be a part of Impact Giving’s first grant season!”

To learn more about Impact Giving, please go to http://www.impactgivingnow.org/

He was injured during his rescue when a pick ax went through his foot

Our partner Christian Aid Ministries took some wheelchairs they had stored at their U.S. facilities into Haiti – here’s a brief recipient story:

March 25-29, 2010     From the Field (Titanyen, Haiti)

Patrico was the first patient at our recovery hospital. He was trapped and then injured during his rescue when a pick axe went through his foot. People were dying around him, and he saw the rescuers chop off the foot of his friend to save him. He is one of the first injured persons in Haiti to receive a FWM wheelchair.

For faraway places, That we do not know, Have reached out their hearts, And replenished our souls

We open hundreds of inquiry emails a year here at FWM – people asking about how to get a wheelchair, how to give a donation, how to change a mailing address, a plethora of queries essential to our work and important to our mission …but every once in a while we receive an email that truly takes our breath away, and reminds us once again why we do what we do.

Received in our office 3/30/10:

For our names make no difference,
But we are all the same,
Countries of war,
or birth defects,
or natural disasters,
Have taken away,
Our abilities to walk,
For the most amazing thing happened,
This fine and glorious day,
A miracle came our way,
As the trucks pulled into our village,
We all gathered around,
To see what was going on,
To our amazement,
Boxes and boxes of things,
Unloaded,
"What could they be?"
For the driver got out,
And went to my son,
Picking him up off the ground,
He put him in a chair that had wheels on it,
The tears rolled down his face and mine,
Able after 14 years to move around,
Not for the young,
But also the old,
Sobbing and tear of joy rang out,
GOD has come to help us out.
For faraway places,
That we do not know,
Have reached out their hearts,
And replenished our souls.
Please if you find it in your heart Check out this web site, And clear your doubt. www.freewheelchairmission.org

Blessing to you all!
 SH 03/30/10